Despite the great length of time between Christ’s ministry on earth and His imminent return, we all must be aware that we live within the boundaries of His mercy. Upon His return, those who have not received His forgiveness will face judgment. His teaching in this passage helps us to recognize the moral urgency when we encounter evil and suffering (13:1). We should notice immediately that He embod...  Read More

Baptist pastors Isaac Backus and John Leland were part of a Christian struggle for religious freedom that began in England and later flourished in North America. By way of background, from time out of memory, kings and queens had demanded total allegiance, based upon the notion of "Divine Right of Kings." This claim said a monarch could not be questioned on any matter, and all people must show abs...  Read More

Politics has moved to the epicenter of our lives in ways that seemed unthinkable a generation ago. Rancorous quakes between political parties and candidates have created a deep divide in the highest branches of our government and their aftershocks are felt down to the grassroots level. Polite discourse and disagreement about issues, once grounded in deep respect for the value and dignity of anothe...  Read More

It is not the giving of the belt around your waist to the poor that comes first; instead, it is what binds your heart to the Father’s that is key. I’ll explain this in a bit, but we see in our focal passage today a clear word about our spiritual health. If our “eye” (spiritual vision) is open to God’s Word/Jesus’ teaching, then our whole body (person) will be healthy (good). It does us well to hav...  Read More

We all have doubts! These questions come in all shapes and sizes. At the end of the day, however, if we are not careful, it causes us to live defeated lives. “Doubt discovers difficulties which it never solves; it creates hesitancy, despondency, despair. Its progress is the decay of comfort, the death of peace. Believe! is the word which speaks life into a man, but doubt nails down his coffin” (Ch...  Read More

Think of the darkest day you have faced in your life. One where you felt entirely alone and could not see your next step. There is a message for you in God’s Word. The Lord can take the darkest moment in your darkest day and cause the sun to rise upon it, so trust Him. The passages we have before us today cover the climax to a time in Judah’s history where their hopes were dashed, and their lives ...  Read More

“For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations” (22:28). A variety of theorists, however, postulate that nations typically reach their zeniths because they have forged success out of economic, military, and politico-cultural advancements.Do you ever wonder about God’s role in nation-building and thriving? I know that the above trio of reasons for national longevity is stated broa...  Read More

Klaus-Dieter grew up in Wiesbaden, Germany, the fourth child in a Baptist family. His father and mother were committed Christians. Klaus' father was a baker and, from his earliest childhood, Klaus and his siblings learned to work very hard. When he was a young teenager, Klaus read several books by "jungle doctor" Paul White, an Australian doctor who had served as a missionary in Tanganyika, Africa...  Read More

The 74-year-old prestigious American Mathematics Competition (AMC) represents a premier math event that America’s colleges and finance-industry recruiters use to locate top-tier teenage “whiz kids” for future university enrollment and business employment. Students begin to prepare for this competition when they are in elementary school and spend long hours working with coaches, participating in ma...  Read More

How important is Jesus Christ to global events? John the Apostle opens our understanding to the universal significance of our Lord to our world—in the past, at the present, and in the future. Our focal passage in Revelation 5 serves to remind us of this central truth to make sense of the world and our place in it. Let’s examine carefully this passage today and apply its truth to our lives. Music t...  Read More

Artificial Intelligence has arrived and is here to stay. This set of technologies have been here for quite some time, but what is new for many of us are the applications. A recent media interview was held with the CEO of a digital company and his A.I. clone. It was eerie to view his AI substitute as it answered the interviewer’s questions and to watch the company executive nod each time the answer...  Read More

Court bailiffs announce the entry of a judge with the familiar, “All rise!” This demonstration of respect for the rule of law is a critical part of our legal system in American democracy. However, I watched a video one time of a judge reading a verdict and then the person on trial literally vaulted over the judge’s bench to take revenge upon the judge and her judgment! Some of our rebellion may no...  Read More